


we'll be grown and i'll be fine

by 00line



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, felix is a food science major and can bake, im new to honorifics dont sue me, not beta read we die like men, seungmin has been in a kitchen before he swears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25557820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/00line/pseuds/00line
Summary: Felix repeats the conversation in his head a couple times, trying hard not to fixate so much on the back hug and the part where his heart took off. What matters most to him in all this is that Seungmin didn’t say a hard ‘no’.It could’ve been just a deflection to end the conversation, he knows, but Seungmin is honest. When he says he’ll think about the job opportunity, Felix knows he means it. And that’s enough for now.--Busy college roommates Felix and Seungmin never see each other these days, but both need new jobs. Felix wants Seungmin to apply to a café with him. Seungmin can't bake to save his life.
Relationships: Kim Seungmin/Lee Felix
Comments: 13
Kudos: 98





	we'll be grown and i'll be fine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [forrainydaze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/forrainydaze/gifts).



> happy birthday!! i hope you have the most wonderful day and year.
> 
> everyone else, welcome to my first skz fic! enjoy many creative liberties. fic playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6bgOk18BaPJqGdwgTu4hWh)
> 
> title from ''apple pie" by lizzy mcalpine

The door closest to the counter of the Late Bloomer café opens inward. Felix, whose arms currently cradle two stacked nonstick pans, turns to push it open with his right shoulder. His body follows the arc of the door as it swings inside, gradually revealing the baking ware to whoever’s working the counter that afternoon.

When his eyes land on Mina sighing and Seonghwa pinching the bridge of his nose, the sunniest grin overtakes Felix’s face.

“You know, Felix,” Seonghwa starts, “usually it’s the bakery that serves the customers on a regular basis. Not the other way around?”

Once inside the shop, Felix uses his foot to guide the door closed to stop it from slamming and rattling the art on the walls. He quickly surveys the room — he sees a handful of customers at tables, already serviced and hardly looking up at the new arrival, and one person browsing a side shelf of branded café merch — and decides to walk right up to the counter. He sets the pans down and slides the stack toward Mina.

“Felix, what are these for this time?” Mina asks. Her eyebrows are raised slightly, but her smile is kind. Amused.

Felix tones down his beam to a close-lipped grin. His eyes are soft. “I wanted to thank you for letting me stay late again this semester. And, uh, to say sorry for making you all stay after closing.”

Mina laughs. She looks down and lifts the first pan to inspect the one below, and she lets out a surprised little gasp. “Brownies _and_ blondies? You’re way too kind to us.”

“No, don’t say that. He might stop bringing us food,” Seokwoo says, walking in from the kitchen. He stands in the doorframe, head nearly touching the highest part of it. His hands hold the top and bottom of a bow-tied cardboard box.

At the sound of his voice, the customer eying the green Late Bloomer tee shirts startles and walks around Felix to stand in front of the pastry display. Seokwoo passes them the food with that lovely smile of his, and Felix watches the customer literally swoon. They bow their head in thanks and make for the door with a light blush on their cheeks. When they’re out the door, Seokwoo shakes his head at their reaction and tuts.

Seonghwa huffs a laugh through his nose at Seokwoo and reaches over to slap his arm. Mina closes her eyes and turns her head away from her coworkers’ antics, lets out a loud exhale, and looks back at Felix.

“Thank you for the treats, Felix,” she says. Her eyes give him a once-over, stopping and narrowing at his shoulders. She tilts her head slightly to the right. “You don’t have your backpack today. Did you come all this way just to bring us gifts?”

Felix long-blinks and looks down at himself, even flipping his arms over, like this was news to him as well. He stops to think about what else he came here for, if not homework— and then he remembers and makes a little _Ah_ noise to signal so.

“Right. I meant to ask about the Help Wanted sign on the door. You’re hiring again?” Felix asks.

Mina hums in acknowledgment. “Seonghwa’s finally starting grad school next semester, but he’s leaving us early to do some traveling. And since Wendy and Sohye left, it’s just Mingyu, Seokwoo, and me now. We need all the help we can get, honestly.”

“Felix, you should apply!” Seokwoo says. He finally swats away Seonghwa’s physical scolding. “The people would love you as much as we do.”

“I agree,” Seonghwa says, after side eying Seokwoo some more. “You spend enough time here already, it makes sense.”

Felix widens his eyes and takes a small step back. His hands raise in the air, not of his own accord. “Oh! Oh. Uh, I mean—”

Mina raises her bottom lip in a thoughtful manner. Her head tilts to the side again.

“You don’t have to, of course. But they are right, you know. You’d fit right in here. I think you know this place better than most of us, to be honest,” Mina says, a small laugh punctuating her point. She peels back the plastic wrap on the blondie pan and wedges out a corner piece. She lifts the pastry to the light, showing off the golden color and buttery texture, before biting into it and making a pleased noise after. “Plus, it’s clear to me you’re more than qualified to start as a baker.”

The other two staff members _ooh_ and _ahh_ and close in for a blondie piece of their own. A couple customers start to pay attention to the scene, Felix notices from the corner of his eye, even staring at the desserts with interest. He pushes down the urge to curl into himself, but his expression visibly grows sheepish.

“Yeah, no, please apply,” Seokwoo says midway into his second bite. “I couldn’t do this if I tried.”

Felix laughs, finally shoving away the forming insecurity. He clasps his hands and bows a little. “Thank you.”

“Excuse me, young man, may we try some?”

Everyone at the counter turns to see one of the regulars, a grandmother, standing up beside her table and raising an open hand. She looks right at Felix. Next to her, two young children sit backward in their chairs, also facing him. They’re grinning and making heart eyes at the handmade treats.

Felix flits his suddenly bugged-out eyes back and forth between the customers and Mina. Her eyebrows furrow and her lips scrunch up in thought. Then she mouths _Ask why_ to Felix and nods her head once. He nods once in return and meets the grandmother’s gaze again. But before he can say anything—

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Shouldn’t the regular customers be able to judge for themselves whether your baking skills are good?” asks the grandmother. She smiles with a gleam in her eye, like she’s done this before. Her tone registers as challenging but not unkind. Teacher-like.

Out of everyone, Seonghwa is the one to step forward and push the baking tins, now with a plastic serving spade and napkins resting on the plastic wrap, back in a stack toward Felix. Seonghwa’s dark hair flops into his face, but his dark eyes are still visible. They’re reassurance enough. He offers Felix a hint of a grin.

Felix picks up his tins and walks over toward the main open part of the small café, finally drawing the attention of the other customers. The two kids straddling the chairs scramble off and around to sit properly in their seats, arms in their laps and backs straight, even as they fidget and watch the pans grow closer. Their unadulterated excitement is contagious. Felix feels his rising nervousness fade again.

They’re just honest customers, he figures. The worst they can do is dislike them.

Felix serves the grandmother and the kids one brownie and one blondie each on their own napkins, being careful not to litter crumbs everywhere. They all take their share, and Felix steps back to wait for their reactions. He sucks in a breath.

When the kids immediately gasp after one bite and start talking excitedly with their mouths full, he deflates and sighs in relief.

“Not bad,” the grandmother says.

Felix jumps. He almost forgot what this was all about.

The grandmother clears her throat and dabs her lips with a corner of the napkin, having torn through the blondie herself. “I usually put walnuts in my recipe,” she starts, “but I know you can’t do that and just give these out to random people. You’re very thoughtful. And humble, it seems.”

She scans him up and down, and then she nods. “I think they’re right. You would be good here.”

Seokwoo claps and cheers from behind the counter. A couple other customers politely, if a bit hesitantly, clap as well. It’s all very disorienting and Felix finds himself just blinking and processing for a few seconds, but then he bows and says his thanks. He reaches over to pick up the tins and return them to the counter, but then the grandmother holds out a hand for him to stop. She opens a small purse and pulls out ₩10,000.

“This is for you,” she says. “And in case anyone else here would like some as well, this will cover the cost.”

A small fuse breaks somewhere in Felix’s brain.

He tries to say something, any sort of “You don’t have to” or “I don’t deserve this”, but nothing comes out. The grandmother places the money under the other napkins, hands him the now-stacked pans, and lightly pats his hand.

“It’s alright, dear. You’re not the first person I’ve tested like this here. All the staff in the past couple years have gone through a similar thing.” The grandmother chuckles. “You weren’t so bad. And these _are_ very good. Clearly my grandkids agree.”

Felix laughs, despite himself. He smiles at the delighted kids and waves until they wave back. Then he bows to the grandmother again.

“Thank you. Uh- thank you,” he says.

The grandmother waves him off. “I appreciate it. But no, thank _you_. I look forward to seeing you work here soon.”

Felix bows slightly again, waves goodbye to the kids, and walks back to the counter. The others are watching him with varying levels of pride and smugness. He gives his best _Are you fucking kidding me_ expression.

“Sorry,” Mina says though a small laugh. “I didn’t want to ruin the set-up. You really handled that well, though.”

“She gave her judgment so quickly. Man, you really do win people over fast,” Seokwoo says. “When I first interviewed here, she told me she was glad I wasn’t just looks. I felt my heart crack a little that day.”

Seonghwa and Felix laugh at that, and even Mina smiles. Seokwoo shakes his head as if to rid himself of the memory.

“Anyway,” Mina continues, “you made it through that. And we’ve told you we think you’d be a perfect fit. But if you still don’t want to apply, we understand. No hard feelings.”

Felix mulls it over, rifling through an hour’s worth of thoughts in a real-time second. He really does need another job after quitting his RA gig, and the only positive thing he gained from that whole experience was having a kitchen to himself. All the solitary baking practice and near-fire alarms were leading up to this, he supposes. Why not?

He meets Mina’s eyes head on. “The application is all online right?”

Mina beams.

✿

Felix returns home to an unlocked front door. He frowns.

A quick glance at his phone says it’s 2pm on a Wednesday, which means Seungmin should be in a student government meeting right now and not in their apartment. Certainly, the door should at least be locked and latched shut. But Felix supposes the day thus far has been unusual enough, so he just opens the door with the hand not holding the empty tins and the free iced coffee Seonghwa made him.

Inside, Felix finds Seungmin pacing a short line between his open bedroom door and Felix’s closed one. His face is scrunched up in something like half-concentrated and half-frustrated, judging by his wrinkled forehead and the straight line of his thin lips. All his educational belongings — the unzipped backpack with the notebooks and pencil case sticking out; the open laptop with no stickers on its lid; his phone resting on the used paperback copy of _The Handmaid’s Tale_ — are strewn about the dining table. It’s the most unsettled Felix thinks he’s seen his best friend lately.

The sound of Felix’s throat clearing seems too loud in this moment. It makes him jump and Seungmin look up from his pacing.

“There was no meeting today,” Seungmin says, in lieu of a greeting. “And I didn’t feel like heading to the library quite yet. Hence all that.”

He gestures broadly to the table. Felix narrows his eyes and shuts the door behind him, and then he side-steps to the kitchen without tearing his eyes from a still-pacing Seungmin.

“Uh-huh,” Felix says. He twists to set the baking tins in the sink, picks up his drink, and walks to the other side of the dining table. “Is everything alright? Why are you pacing? Why is your water bottle open?”

“That- oh.” The last question causes Seungmin to blink rapidly. He moves to close the lid on his reusable bottle, and then he starts to busy himself with sorting through all the items on the table. He makes separate little piles.

Felix places his hands on the table, palms flat against the wood, to steady himself as he leans forward. Some seconds pass. “You haven’t answered my other questions yet, Minnie.”

Seungmin has two small groups of things on the table. He scoops up the one with a blue notebook and the novel into his arms and disappears backward into his room. Felix watches him go, boundless patience beginning to strain. Twenty or so seconds later, Seungmin returns with another assortment of things, which he sets next to the other pile.

“I need another job,” he says. He lifts his head to meet Felix’s concerned look.

The stars in Seungmin’s eyes seem duller today, Felix notes.

“Uh, okay. What’s wrong with the Law Library?” Felix asks. “I thought you liked working there.”

Seungmin glances down at the stacks on the table, then back up at Felix. The latter follows his eyes down and scans the things. Beside the tech, Pompompurin pencil case, and graph paper notebook rests the new pile: a red binder full of printed sheets of paper, sunset-colored sticky notes, and the cherry-colored bullet journal Seungmin’s been using for this half of the year. Meticulous color coding aside, Felix doesn’t understand the significance of all those things together. He says as much.

“This is what’s left of my sociology notes from the first two years. Everything else is ready to be shredded. I finally switched majors,” Seungmin says. “And added the minor.”

Felix’s eyes widen and his smile grows. “Wait. Wait, that’s good! Congrats, Seungminnie, holy shit.”

Seungmin hums. His expression is neutral.

“So then what’s the problem with your job?” Felix asks. “Even if you’re not in Pre-Law anymore, it stills pays really well.”

That’s when Seungmin’s face reverts to wrinkles and no lips. He fidgets in his stance, a rarity. “I feel bad,” he says. “I don’t like Law students and their stuck-up attitudes — well, I don’t feel bad about that. But I don’t like working only two days a week and having to work until 10 or 11pm, and I don’t like the feeling of people judging me for wanting to get out and study something I at least _enjoy_. It’s suffocating, and it’s bothering me. Clearly.”

He says the last word with a forced laugh. Felix nods in understanding and reaches across the table to pat Seungmin’s hand. That makes them both laugh genuinely from the sheer awkwardness of it all.

“You can just give me a hug, Lix. I won’t blow up, I promise.”

And Felix does. Hug Seungmin, not metaphorically blow up (although that is a Thought, Felix muses).

“Are you worried about finding another job then? There are plenty of places that would kill to have you, trust me,” Felix says. An idea swims to the forefront of his head, but he waits to hear what his roommate has to say first.

“Kind of.” Seungmin adjusts himself so he’s wrapping his arms around Felix from behind and resting his head on the latter’s shoulder. “I think I just want something where I’m not compromising my needs for my wants. I want a fuller schedule and enough space to be alone, but I need money. And better times to study, so I’m not still awake at 2am.”

“I get that,” Felix says. He leans back into the touch, hoping Seungmin can’t feel how fast his heart is racing suddenly. “Do you have any places in mind yet?”

Seungmin chuckles. The movement tickles Felix’s back. “A few. But it sounds like you have a suggestion for me,” Seungmin says. “Do tell.”

“Well, the Late Bloomer café is hiring. They could really use more staff.”

Seungmin stills. He slowly detaches himself from the older and stands back up, posture perfect like always. Straight line lips again, but no forehead wrinkles yet. He’s on guard.

Felix turns around and looks at him to confirm all this, his best friend’s usual defensive stance. _Yeah_.

“I accidentally interviewed there today,” Felix blurts to stop the uncomfortable pause from growing. “There was this old grandmother and her grandchildren. They’re regulars. They tried the brownies and blondies I made last night, and they really liked them, and the grandmother even gave me money—”

“Felix. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

The blond stops rambling. “Huh? Why not?” Felix asks.

Seungmin flicks his eyes over to the digital time on the microwave. 2:20. He swears.

“A café isn’t a good fit for me,” he says. He’s quickly but carefully tucking all his things in his navy and brown Kanken. “I don’t know how to bake or make coffee. And I’m not sure if a service job would fit my wants _or_ my needs.”

“But they would teach you,” Felix says. He rests his hand on the back of a chair and leans. “And that’s not true, they would work with you and your schedule to make sure you’re comfortable. You remember Mina noona, my old dance captain. She’s the manager. I know she would.”

Seungmin grabs his water bottle and walks over to the fridge to refill it with ice. He scans the fridge for an extra snack and elects instead to pull a couple small things from the giant pantry by the front door. All this in hand, he adds it to his bag and zips it shut, slinging it onto his shoulders.

“Maybe,” he says. “I have to meet Chaewon and Renjun at the library in ten minutes. Sorry, Lix.”

Felix dashes to the front door and stands with his back to it, sticking his arms out to cover more space. “Minnie, wait, hold on. Please. You seemed really upset about this when I got here,” he says. “And we never really get to see each other much anymore, I don’t know when we’ll get to talk about this next. I just don’t want you to keep stressing yourself over something that can be easily fixed.”

Seungmin sighs. He adjusts one of the backpack straps so it’s tighter. “I appreciate that, Felix. I really do. Just- just let me think about it.”

“That’s fine.” Felix drops his arms to his sides. “That’s fine. Remember, if you need to talk—”

“—I can always come to you. I know.” Seungmin exhales and smiles a little, though it still doesn’t brighten his eyes. “Thank you, Lix. I do need to go now, though.”

“What- oh yeah, sorry,” Felix says, opening the door and stepping out of the way. He smiles a toothy smile. “Enjoy studying. See you after class.”

Seungmin nods, waves once, and walks out into the hall and away toward the main library. Felix shuts and locks the door behind him, then feels the fight leave his body so fast he groans and falls to his knees.

That could’ve gone way worse.

Felix repeats the conversation in his head a couple times, trying hard not to fixate so much on the back hug and the part where his heart took off. What matters most to him in all this is that Seungmin didn’t say a hard ‘no’.

It could’ve been just a deflection to end the conversation, he knows, but Seungmin is honest. When he says he’ll think about the job opportunity, Felix knows he means it. And that’s enough for now.

That’s what gets Felix up off his knees and into his bedroom, pulling up the online application for the Late Bloomer café.

✿

On a Friday some two weeks later, Felix is manning the cash register with Mina at the Late Bloomer when he sees Seungmin walk in with a group of their mutual friends. He recognizes Chaewon and Renjun, Seungmin’s usual study partners, along with a couple of each of their own friends. Felix thinks maybe they all stumbled upon the new visual arts major all alone after his 3-hour morning lecture ended and somehow roped him into their usual off-campus hangout here.

Felix laughs to himself.

After a pair of rock-paper-scissors games among the friend groups, Jeno and Yujin lose and walk to the counter to order everyone’s food and drinks. Felix takes their orders and passes them along to Mina, though admittedly he’s distracted the entire time by his tall, lost-looking roommate in a bright yellow hoodie.

“We picked him up on the way,” Yujin says with this Look in her eyes. She grins. “He was looking for this place but didn’t know where it was. Said his roommate Felix just started working here and he wanted to say hi.”

“I’m surprised you’ve never brought him here before, Felix,” Jeno says, handing over some bills. “This is exactly his sort of place, and now _you’re_ here more than usual.”

Felix exhales and rings him up. “You know Seungmin. Always busy.”

“True,” Jeno says. “He did seem in a hurry to get here.”

“He has a shift at the Law Library at 1,” Felix replies. “Usually he picks up lunch on campus. I guess he wanted something different today though.”

Yujin still has on that expression that’s starting to unsettle Felix. “Well he’s sure cutting it close, coming all the way here. Making time just for you, I think.”

“Oh, uh, I guess. Here’s your change, Jeno.”

Jeno says thanks and takes the money, and he and Yujin walk back toward their respective circles. Now Seungmin is at the counter, and Felix’s heart is in his throat. He’s never seen this hoodie before. It’s so _bright_.

“Hi, Seungminnie,” Felix says. “How can I help you?”

“This place is really nice. You fit right in here.” Seungmin smiles. With teeth.

The hoodie is so _yellow_. It has Homer Simpson on it. Felix didn’t know Seungmin knew who that was. Of course he does, he knows everything.

“Thank you,” Felix says instead of all that. “Tall iced Americano then?”

“I’ll have a caramel macchiato today. Still iced, please,” Seungmin says. “Something different.”

He looks like sunshine. Felix might pass out.

“An-anything else?” _Shit_.

For what it’s worth, Seungmin doesn’t comment. “Well, it’s not on the menu, but would you be able to make me an egg sandwich? I need lunch before work.”

Felix turns his head to see Mina already nodding. “I’ll ask Mingyu,” Felix says.

“Great,” Seungmin says, softly smiling. “That’ll be all, Lix.”

“Okay, uh, that’ll be ₩6,000.” Seungmin gives him the money and Felix takes an extra second to _check him out_ before checking him out. “I’ve never seen that hoodie before, Minnie.”

Seungmin blinks and looks down at himself. “Oh. I ordered this not too long ago. I thought the color was pretty,” he says.

“I agree,” Felix replies. He hands his roommate his receipt. “It looks really good on you.”

“You think?” Seungmin tucks his arms in a little and flaps his small, newfound sweater paws. “I kind of think it makes me look like Big Bird.”

Felix snorts. “Way to ruin the compliment. I said you looked nice, not like a giant puppet.”

“I mean. If you think about it—”

“Yujin! Black milk tea, 70% sugar,” Mina calls from Felix’s other side. “And here’s Hyewon’s winter melon with pearls and foam.”

Yujin perks up and rushes to the counter to pick up the first two drinks. She looks at Seungmin first, who’s still standing in front of the cash register, and then she grins at Felix. Her eyebrows wiggle twice. Then she turns to drop off the drinks.

Seungmin clears his throat. He checks the time on his phone and tries (and fails) not to wince. “I’ll, uh, get out of line now,” he says.

Felix nods. “It won’t be too long. You’ll be out of here in no time.”

Seungmin makes a small affirmative noise. Just then, Mingyu comes from the kitchen with four to-go lunch boxes. Jeno’s table cheers as he goes to retrieve their food. On the way back, Jeno smiles at Felix and tilts his head at Seungmin, who returns the gesture.

“Mingyu-ssi,” Felix says to the chef on duty. “Before you go, would you be able to make a fried egg sandwich real fast? Special order. Please.”

Mingyu furrows his eyebrows and inspects the customers. He stops when he spots Seungmin, stood by himself by some of the café merch, and makes a noise of realization. “Ah. Is it for the kid in the yellow hoodie?” he asks.

Felix coughs. His face starts to flush, so he looks at the floor. “He has a shift at 1 and needs to eat. I said I would ask if you could make him something.”

“No need to be so embarrassed, Felix,” Mingyu says, displaying a warm smile. “The request is endearing. I’ll be as quick I can, but I still have Yujin’s whole order to go. If he doesn’t mind waiting some more, I’ll be more than happy.”

“Okay. I’ll ask,” Felix says, a bit put out. His ears, he’s sure, are red and burning. He passes Mina, who’s handing Yujin her other two drinks, and waves over at Seungmin.

“Psst! Seungminnie!” he whisper-yells.

The brunette laughs. “I can hear you just fine,” Seungmin says, though he still moves up to the pastry display. “What’s up?”

Felix relays him the information. Seungmin exhales, checks his phone again, and seems to mediate a debate in his mind. His lips purse so he’s almost pouting. _Cute._

“If you need to go now, you can,” Felix says. “Mina’s about to finish your drink. I can just pay you back later, it’s fine.”

Seungmin shakes his head. He looks Felix right in his eyes. They’re back to their usual starry selves. “No. I came all this way to buy something, so I won’t leave without it. Even if I’m late to work for once.”

Felix compensates for his warm cheeks and sweaty palms by pretending to be affronted. “You mean, you didn’t go off campus for _me_? And here I thought we were friends.”

“I figured that much was obvious,” Seungmin says. “I’m only in it for the things you make. Speaking of.”

He cuts himself off just as Mina comes over with his iced coffee.

“Here you go, Seungmin. I hope you enjoy your drink, even if Felix didn’t make it this time,” she says, glancing at her flustered coworker then back at Seungmin. “Maybe next time.”

Seungmin nods. “Thank you, Mina-ssi. And I’ll look forward to the next time, then.”

Mina hums and turns to Felix. “I’ll take the counter. Go check on Mingyu.”

Felix nods. “Be right back,” he says to Seungmin before he heads into the kitchen.

Inside, Mingyu is packing the second of four sandwiches in Yujin’s order. The ingredients and tools for an egg toast are by one of the burners. Without turning around, Mingyu motions toward them. “Go ahead,” he says. “I’m still working on these.”

Felix exhales loudly and nods to no one in particular. He washes his hands and preps the station, then he dives into making Seungmin’s sandwich like he does for him at home all the time. Eggs and cabbage and carrots and green onion, salt and pepper. Toasted bread, other toppings.

Felix’s hands move robotically while his mind is elsewhere: on Yujin’s teasing look, on Mina’s suggestion of Seungmin coming here another time.

The hoodie, again.

That damn yellow thing that looks like something he’d wear himself, having been called the human embodiment of sunshine enough times across two countries. It really does suit Seungmin though, even it if feels out of place among his law school-casual, largely neutral-colored wardrobe.

By the time the egg toast is ready and he’s slicing and packing it up, Felix is still unsure of why he’s so fixated on the hoodie and the way it suits Seungmin to a T.

He follows Mingyu back into the front and waits for him to pass Yujin’s order along to her group. When they both clear the space, Seungmin’s already waiting at the counter with an anxious expression on his face. Felix realizes he hasn’t once thought to check the clock in all this. He does now. It’s 12:40. Oh dear.

“Here you go, Seungminnie. Sorry for the wait,” Felix says. “I hope I’m not badly messing up your schedule. I know what you said, but I also know how much it means to you to be on time.”

Seungmin offers a ghost of a smile, taking the box from Felix and touching his hands on the way. Felix swallows.

“It’s alright, you don’t have to worry about me,” Seungmin replies. “I know what I got myself into and I know how I’ll get out. Plus, I get to spend time enjoying something you made for me. I could never go wrong with you- uh, your food.”

Felix laughs at his slip-up, hoping his sudden shortened breath isn’t noticeable. “Boo, don’t flatter me, go enjoy your lunch. I’ll see you later, I hope?”

“When I can,” Seungmin says, like he often does. “Have a good day, Lix.”

“You too!” Felix replies. “Wait, dammit, you took my line.”

Seungmin grins and waves back at him, food and drink in hand. “You can say it first next time.” Then he makes his way out of the café and back to campus.

Felix sighs, smiling. He shakes his head, ignoring the pointed looks from the staff and literally everyone Seungmin came in with, and tries to get back into his barista mindset.

“We’re talking about this later, you know,” Mina says from behind him. “Now, back to work.”

✿

The next time Seungmin returns to Late Bloomer is a week later, another Friday in the same time slot. He arrives before any of the big friend groups do and orders things off the menu, expediting the process and allowing him to sit at a table and eat without rushing.

Felix is thankful for no standout fashion pieces to distract him this time around, but still he stares at his roommate. He can’t help it. They live together, sure, but see each other less and less as the semesters progress. It’s been like this since they were first years and lived in different rooms on the same floor of the freshman hall.

Seungmin is busy and Felix has bad timing. But they make it work somehow.

It’d be an exaggeration to say this is the most Felix has seen Seungmin _this_ semester, because it’s only late September, but it feels like it. He’s already thrown himself head-first into courses and club duties and his job and job search. Nothing new, but still tiring even as a spectator.

So, Felix allows himself to revel in these little moments in the café, where he’s doing what makes him happy while still ensuring the wellbeing of his best friend. Even if they don’t talk much, beyond ordering and small banter before Seungmin leaves, it’s enough for now.

Seungmin starts coming by more often as the semester progresses though, much to Felix’s delight. He picks up lunch to-go on Fridays like usual, but he camps at a table to study on Wednesdays, before his 6 to 9pm lecture, and on the rare Sunday he doesn’t have work. Half the time now, Felix has Seungmin’s order ready by the time he arrives.

On one of these Sundays in mid-October, Mina approaches the hiring topic again.

“You know, he’s had more Sundays off than usual these days,” she notes. “And he’s in less of a hurry on Fridays. Are you sure he’s still working at the Law Library?”

Felix thinks for a second. “I mean, he hasn’t said anything to me. Maybe they changed his schedule and he just keeps forgetting to tell me.”

“Maybe. You should still ask him though, since he’s here. I know we have you and Minjoo now, but another set of hands is always useful.” Mina glances at the other new barista taking orders, then up at the clock. “It’s your break time anyway. Go ahead.”

“Thank you, noona.” Felix nods and ducks his head, then hangs up his apron.

He dusts himself off and washes his hands before picking up his snack – a small berry tart Seokwoo wanted him to try – and his water. He exits the side employee door into the hall, where the board game shelf and customer restrooms are, then into the main part of the café and over to Seungmin.

The younger pores over what looks like his photojournalism readings, printed out and covered in black pen and shades of purple highlight. His DSLR is out on the table next to his open laptop, pulled up to Standing Egg’s entire discography. The condensation on what’s left of his iced Americano drips down and creeps toward his phone.

Felix gently taps on the edge of the table. Seungmin doesn’t look up from his work, but he takes out one AirPod and gestures with the same hand for Felix to sit.

“How’s it going, Seungminnie?” Felix asks after a minute.

“Could be worse. I’m researching topics for my photo story. Not sure what to do yet.” Now Seungmin looks up. Felix thinks his eyes look slightly unfocused without his old glasses. “But you’re here now. Maybe we can brainstorm while you’re on break.”

Felix takes a hurried sip of water. “Can we do that in a sec? I wanna ask you something first,” he says.

Seungmin’s eyes narrow. He sets down his pen. “Something the matter?”

“Well- I just- Hm.” Felix clears his throat. “Are you still working at the Law Library? We haven’t talked about that in a while, and you’re here more often now. I was wondering but I never really got the chance to ask you so—yeah.” He looks away.

A sigh. Seungmin rolls his neck. “Ah, right. That,” he starts. “No, I don’t work there anymore. Sorry I haven’t said anything about it until now.”

“That’s okay,” Felix says. He takes a bite of the tart. It’s a bit too sweet for his liking, but it’s not bad. He holds it out to his roommate. “You wanna try? Mixed berry and vanilla cream.”

“Sure.” Seungmin takes the smallest bite. He hums and passes it back to Felix. “Tad sweet. I think people would like it though.”

Felix grins. “That’s what I was thinking! You’ve got good taste. We could use more of that around here, if you know what I mean.” His eyebrows raise and his eyes crinkle, delighted by his choice of phrasing. He pops the rest of the dessert in his mouth.

Seungmin, however, frowns. He reaches for a napkin, also handing one to Felix, and wipes off the water left on his Americano cup. “Are you trying to get me to apply here again?” he asks. “I said it wasn’t a good idea the first couple times you asked.”

“I know, Minnie,” Felix says. He pats his mouth clean and tries not to fidget. “But did you ever _really_ think about it? Or have you already applied somewhere and that’s why you don’t wanna try? Because that I would at least understand, you know, that’s okay. I won’t be mad.”

“It just doesn’t appeal to me right now, Lix. Simple as that. Can we please move on?” Seungmin asks quickly. His expression looks apologetic, but it doesn’t reach his eyes again. He glances over at his camera. “I was thinking about something to do with pet owners and the bonds they form with their pets, especially in times of emotional need.”

Felix twists his lips. “Seungmin, It’s not because you don’t want to work with me, right?”

Seungmin presses the space bar on his computer to pause his music. He pulls out the other headphone and looks back. “What.”

“Well,” Felix starts. His cheeks are hot. He didn’t mean to voice those thoughts, wherever they came from. “It’s just. You might have no experience, but that’s never stopped you before from learning and problem solving until you’re confident in yourself. Even when it comes to food.

“Like, I know you can only really make eggs and pasta, but you handle other food well at restaurants. And you wouldn’t take any customer’s shit. So I don’t see why else you wouldn’t want to apply here but me, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know why I said that. I’m sorry.”

Seungmin crosses his arms over his chest. His head tilts to the side slightly and he clenches his jaw. His eyes are darker.

“Felix. No. Don’t do that,” he says. “It’s not you and it’s not me. This just isn’t the kind of place I want to work at right now, okay? That’s all. There’s nothing more to it.”

“Then why’re you here so often, if not to get a feel for the place or something?” Felix asks. “It’s off-campus and far from where you usually spend all your time. Why come here at all then?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself?” Seungmin fixes him with this stare that he’s rarely on the receiving end of. It’s not stars in his eyes now, but fire. “We don’t see each other all the time these days. Even if I’m not busy with a job right now, I still need to study and attend to my club duties. The library is a fine place to do all that, but so is this.

“And you’re here too. I do as much as I can in my free time, _and_ I still get to see you and know you’re healthy and happy. I didn’t realize that was such a problem, though.”

Felix wilts at his tone. His hands curl into small fists to keep himself steady in his chair. “That’s- that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry to assume—”

“Look, Felix.” Seungmin sighs. He drops his arms to his lap. “It’s fine. I know you mean well. Thank you for always looking out for me. But please, just- just trust me on this one, okay? I’m not interested right now. Maybe not ever.”

Felix gulps and downs a lot of his water. His chest feels tight and his eyes sting. He’s not sure what else he expected from this conversation, but he didn’t think he’d be so upset about it.

He bites his tongue, literally, to stop himself from saying anything more. His head feels a bit heavy. He _really_ doesn’t know why he’s acting like this. It’s too much all at once for him.

“Lix?”

He takes a shaky breath and looks up at Seungmin. The younger’s eyes are softer but still hold a hardened edge. Felix knows Seungmin’s going to be worried about him, but he’s more concerned about the way his throat is constricting right now, to be honest.

“I’m going into the break room,” Felix says, breaking the stare. He scoots backward in his chair and stands up with his trash in hand, keeping his burning eyes downcast. “Good luck with the rest of your studying tonight. Make sure you eat dinner, okay? I’ll see you later.”

“Lix,” Seungmin says again. Nothing else though, or nothing else that Felix can hear, because he’s already pushing in his chair and walking back to the hall and into the break room.

Felix refills his water cup, tosses away the trash, and holds onto the napkin without crumbs on it, squeezing it like a shitty stress ball. He flops into a chair and shuts his eyes, forcing himself to breathe regularly, despite the pressure in his chest.

He feels Mina walk in before he sees her.

“Would you like a hug right now or would you like me to leave you alone?” she asks. “Minjoo is by herself out front, since it’s slow right now, but I trust her to man the register if you need me to do anything for you.”

“Hug, please,” Felix says.

Mina walks over and leans down so they can side hug, and Felix cries a little from frustration – from the sharpness of Seungmin’s tone, to the way Felix knew what the answer would be before even asking but was still let down. The way his emotions carried the entire exchange and he could do nothing about it. The way his emotions were there in the first place.

Mina pats his head and asks nothing of him until he’s ready to talk, like the angel she is. She apologizes for putting Felix into that situation in the first place, and he assures her it’s not her fault but instead his for being so presumptuous about, well, everything.

“Let’s just both say we were wrong on this one, how about that,” Mina says. “What matters now is that he said ‘no’ clearly, so we won’t try and convince him again, okay?”

Felix nods in understanding. He dabs at his eyes with a tissue.

“You’re still on break for a few more minutes. Take as much time as you need to calm yourself and wash up. And come outside only when you’re ready.” Mina stands up and offers such a motherly look that Felix almost tears up again. “It’ll be alright, Felix. I’m sure he’s not mad at you. And if he is, I’m sure you can clear it up.”

“I hope so,” Felix says. He exhales and reaches for his water just as Mina smiles gently and leaves for the front.

Felix leans his head back and takes several deep breaths. He’s not sure how much time passes between him feeling light enough to wash his face and neck and going back on duty. But it’s enough for him to notice that, when he returns to his place at the register, Seungmin is gone.

✿

They make up that night.

It’s tense, but not unbearably so. Seungmin doesn’t seem to carry a grudge, what with the way he made a halfway decent aglio e olio for the two of them. Tomatoes on the side for garnish, too. They cuddle on the couch after and watch a bit of Buzzfeed Unsolved on Felix’s laptop before they fall asleep, Felix curled into Seungmin’s chest.

And, when Felix wakes for his 8:30 the next morning, Seungmin isn’t mad to have slept in yesterday’s clothes. He even smiles and waves at Felix before the latter leaves for class. Felix thinks the day can only get better from there.

The rest of October passes without much incident.

Midterm season comes and goes as expected, with Seungmin spending less daylight time at the Late Bloomer. If he visits, it’s usually just after taking an evening walk to clear his head. He’ll buy a drink and talk with Felix until he feels ready to focus again, then the barista sends his best friend back on his merry way.

Felix, for his part, is doing alright in his own studies. He spends more of his break time and slow hours working on food chemistry lab reports, and he hasn’t had to reduce hours from work or his Tuesday and Saturday lab research with Dr. Oh.

Sometimes on Thursdays, when Felix doesn’t work and Seungmin ends class around dinner time, the two of them will even plan a week in advance to go somewhere and study together, or at least enjoy each other’s company in a way they haven’t since their first year.

It’s nice.

Felix remembers how nice it is to listen to Seungmin talk animatedly about what photos he’s been taking in the studio, or hear him sing whatever song’s been stuck in his head that day, or watch him retain what feels like an encyclopedic amount of information.

Seungmin overall is just. Nice. Pleasant. An easy breeze on a sunny day’s stroll, colorful leaves drifting in the wind. The stray sunray that peeks through a layer of clouds, a burst of warmth amid shadow.

Felix feels like a cat sometimes, basking in his best friend’s presence like this. Particularly memorable are the days he means it literally, like when they decide to camp in a library booth one day and Felix lies down on the bench, resting his head in Seungmin’s lap. Felix starts a cycling manga after he finishes his aquaculture homework, and Seungmin types away at a civil conflict paper.

Every so often, when he needs to stretch his wrists and hands, Seungmin lazily brushes down Felix’s fading lilac hair. His blunt nails skim Felix’s neck once or twice, making the older shiver and forget where he is in the story every time. Seungmin chuckles and ruffles Felix’s hair a bit, just so he has an excuse to smooth it over again later.

It’s the most affectionate they’ve been in a long time, publicly or otherwise.

To balance these little moments of clarity, though, are murkier times. Felix starts to think he hasn’t seen Seungmin once three days in a row, beyond distantly passing by each other to get to a class or a club in the student center. Not even when they’re both supposed to be at home.

Mid-November rolls around, and this pattern of noticing Seungmin missing extends to the café as well. Where the younger would consistently come by on Wednesday afternoons and until the end of Felix’s Friday shifts – that way, they could walk home together and huddle for warmth in the chilly night – is now a single appearance in the week, if at all.

Felix thinks he should be used to that already, given the past couple years.

Of course, it still feels like there’s a gap in his own schedule where Seungmin has filled in the cracks, but something about his rapid retraction into hermit mode isn’t sitting well with Felix.

Maybe it’s the way the apartment is dustier than normal, or how the fridge seems to run out of fresh groceries faster than Felix can meal prep for two for the whole week.

There are more dishes in the sink sometimes that he doesn’t remember leaving (because he is certainly guilty of leaving the dishes unwashed until the end of the day, he’ll admit that much). But they’re dishes usually used for baking – big glass bowls with whisks, plastic measuring cups, the detachable blades of a hand mixer.

At least he knows Seungmin hasn’t fled the country or something. But Felix is unsettled.

It bleeds into his demeanor at work. Minjoo tries to cheer him up or small talk him to death as a distraction, which works sometimes. The new hire, Jibeom, stays clear of him for now and sticks mostly to Mingyu in the kitchen. And Mina acts just a bit stricter and snaps him out of his worst funk, a Wednesday one week or so before reading days start, when Felix runs into Seokwoo and spills coffee on them both, and then proceeds to mess up a new customer’s order.

“Felix,” she says at closing that Friday, after he hasn’t shaken off the nerves. “I know you’re concerned about your studies and mostly about Seungmin, but we’re at work. You’re not a bad employee, and you haven’t been skittish like this before. I understand where your head’s at, but you have to pull yourself together just until the end of the semester.”

When Felix opens his mouth to respond, Mina holds up a finger. “I know it sounds empty coming from me, because I’m not in college anymore, but you were there when I was. You’ve watched me fall apart at dance club and worry about Chaeyoung, just like how you’re fretting over Seungmin. Even if you think it’s not the same, it is.

“You care for him a lot. That much is evident. And he cares about you too, enough that he wouldn’t do anything that he knows would upset you. Does that make sense?”

Felix wordlessly nods. Mina sighs and pats him on the shoulder.

“It will be alright, Felix, believe me,” she says. “You can go home now. You never know, he might be there waiting for you.”

“Thank you, noona. Get home safe,” Felix says on his way out.

Seungmin is home, thankfully, but he’s just closed his bedroom door when Felix enters the house and slips off his shoes. The sink is empty, but the drying rack is full of wet bowls and spatulas. Felix makes a face and unlocks his own bedroom, dumping his stuff on his bed and flopping face first onto it. He groans.

Reading days finally approach, a week and a half with no classes meant for students to (cram) study all their material before final exams begin. Seungmin has always treated this week as if he still went to class, blocking out the same times each day to study that course’s material. He even switches buildings, or at least one part of the library to another, to simulate the experience and help him maintain that part of his routine.

Felix does none of that.

He’s still on the work schedule for his usual full three shifts, despite the amount of studying he should do, even though he’s sure the café will be packed with equally as stressed and frantic students. But he does look forward to being away from any library or on-campus food place, because - at least - at work none of his classmates will try and rope him into giving them their notes to copy. He thinks it’ll be fine.

The Sunday before the week officially begins though, after returning home from his shift, he sees Seungmin’s bedroom light still off and the sink almost overflowing with dishes again. And the whole place smells faintly burnt.

Felix quickly sets his things down on the dining table and inspects the entire kitchen. He sees a wooden cutting board acting like a backrest to a stack of glass and metal bowls, the innermost of which holds a rolling pin, several measuring cups, a couple heatproof rubber spatulas, and a whisk, all submerged in dirty water. In the other side of the sink rests the components of their bullet blender – the inside of the plastic container covered with something red like strawberries – a couple baking sheets, and their big sieve speckled with bright, colorful specks of something.

The counters look hastily wiped of flour and sugar but are otherwise clear.

Seungmin was making something and didn’t want him to see.

Felix blinks.

He opens the fridge and sees nothing there out of the ordinary, except for less butter than before. He checks the freezer and notices the frozen strawberries they sometimes use for smoothies are gone. One by one, he looks in every cabinet and drawer for another sign of what Seungmin could have made, but he finds nothing. There’s one less giant Tupperware container, and a little less all-purpose flour, but that’s about it.

“Sneaky motherfucker,” he whispers aloud.

Felix refills his water bottle before heading into his room and leaving his things at a pile under his bedframe. After he gets ready to sleep and slips into his bed, he texts Mina about adjusting his schedule. He turns his phone off and falls asleep before he can tell whether Seungmin returned home.

The next morning, Mina agrees.

Felix spends his Monday and Tuesday studying on the main lawn with a few other Chemistry and Food Science majors, then at dance club on Monday, and organizing data at Dr. Oh’s on-campus lab on Tuesday.

Seungmin has a packed Monday but a relatively open Tuesday, which he spends working in his bedroom. Felix is skeptical of the choice to stay home, but he leaves it alone.

When Wednesday rolls around, Felix sleeps in. He asked Mina if he could take the day off today to study some more and check up on Seungmin, and she easily let him go. He gets up mid-morning, after Seungmin’s already gone to the photography studios.

Felix takes this time to thoroughly examine the kitchen for any changes. Seungmin made simple enough scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast, judging by the empty pan and spatula left on the back-right burner. One bottle of orange juice is gone from the fridge. Nothing else has moved, it looks like.

He sighs.

Felix reheats some leftover pancakes from yesterday morning, accompanying them with fresh berries and weak coffee, and enjoys them while watching a Valorant let’s play in English. He moves slowly, both to savor the food and to eat up the extra time.

Today, _he’s_ staying at home.

He had no other plans anyway, since normally he would work from noon to 8:30pm, and it’s fine because he thinks he won’t be able to focus on his readings for very long. Felix waits until the video’s over to clean up and quickly wash the dishes, pan included. Then he goes about his day like normal, showering and getting dressed and laying out his study materials.

Before he knows it, it’s time for a late lunch. He eats one of the fried tofu lunch boxes he had prepared and sits on the giant windowsill in the living room, people watching.

Felix checks the time not too long after he’s done eating. It’s nearing 2:30pm and he’s sick of camping in the apartment in the hopes of Seungmin returning after his morning study sessions and student government meeting. Felix gets ready to head out and quickly packs his backpack with his laptop and home economics notebook. Then he leaves to go on a walk around campus and maybe find a place to do some work.

He passes a few familiar faces, including a tall fox-faced kid he was an RA for last year, and he listens to the first episode of a podcast called The Adventure Zone. Beyond stopping at Starbucks to buy a watery Americano, nothing else eventful happens on his walk. He doesn’t see Seungmin and he gets no work done. Lose-lose.

It’s 4pm now. Felix gives up and heads back home.

He returns to an unlocked door and the clear smell of something burning. His mouth drops open in shock and he doesn’t try to think logically about anything. He just barges into the apartment and coughs in the thin layer of smoke.

Inside, Felix finds Seungmin in _the_ yellow hoodie, the front of it pulled up over his face like a mask, standing in front of the oven and frantically waving away fumes. There’s the tiniest cherry-printed apron tied tight around his small waist and peeking out from under the yellow fabric. Resting on the burners and one of the counters are three metal baking trays with… something cooling on them.

Whatever Felix expected to see or say is gone. His brain is empty. He can’t help but laugh.

Seungmin jolts out of his concentrated avoidance of a fire alarm and whips around to face his roommate. His face is some blend of surprised and annoyed and embarrassed, brought together perfectly with his comically widened eyes and the red of his cheeks.

“Dammit, Lix, you weren’t supposed to see all this,” Seungmin says. He moves closer and tries to wave _Felix_ back out the open door, shooing him and all.

Felix, though, holds his ground and leans back in a full-bodied laugh, arms wrapped around his midsection. He shakes his head and wipes a single tear from his right eye.

“God! I smelled the burning outside and thought I forgot to turn the oven off or something. But it’s just you, Seungminnie. You scared the shit out of me,” Felix says once he regains his breath. He clears his throat and chokes on his spit, caught so off guard.

Seungmin deadpans at his amusement, or at least tries to. It’s hard to take his angry face seriously through the intensity of his blush. The younger crosses his arms over his chest.

Felix can’t be bothered. He grins and walks around his best friend to inspect the damage. There are three trays full of inconsistently baked chocolate chunk cookies, some that look fine and others resembling something closer to charcoal. He decides those ones are extra dark chocolate.

“Well, they’re—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Seungmin interrupts. “This was my first try and I don’t want any negative feedback right now.”

Felix snickers. “I was _going_ to say they’re not all so bad. The ones on this tray look alright,” he says, pointing toward the ones on the counter. “They seem edible enough. But I guess I can’t tell you that now, huh?”

Seungmin walks over to him and decides to purse his lips. “Give me more compliments,” he says. “Help build my pride back up.”

Instead of that, Felix turns and slings his arms around Seungmin, who stiffens in his embrace. The latter uncrosses his arms and returns the hug, the two of them standing in the kitchen next to something Seungmin baked by himself. Felix never thought he’d see the day.

Wait.

“What happened to whatever you made on Sunday?” he asks, looking up at Seungmin. “I saw the dishes when I got back from work. Don’t pretend like nothing happened.”

The younger cocks his head for a few seconds until he remembers. “Oh, right. One second,” he says. Seungmin detaches himself from the hug and darts into his bedroom, returning with the giant Tupperware container that was missing. He opens the red lid to reveal a few, not half bad looking, homemade strawberry Pop-Tarts.

The frosting is a bit thinly spread and messy, and a couple of the pastries puffed more than they should’ve, but they’re well put-together. Felix is impressed.

“May I?” he asks, already reaching for one to try. Seungmin nods and Felix selects the neatest one, biting into it excitedly.

And, well shit. It’s good.

“You made this?” Felix asks through a mouthful of pastry. Seungmin narrows his eyes at him for talking while eating, but he nods again. Felix swallows his bite and clears his throat. “Cookies and homemade Pop-Tarts, Seungminnie? What’s the occasion? What’d I miss?”

Seungmin closes the lid on the plastic container and leans over to set it on the counter next to the decent cookies. Then he unties the cherry print waist apron and tosses it toward the dining table. He smooths down his clothes and, somehow, manages to avoid Felix’s wandering eyes following his every move.

The younger’s cheeks match the apron again.

“I- I wanted to practice baking,” Seungmin says.

Felix hums. “I got that much,” he replies. “But why though? Are you the reason the groceries are disappearing so quickly?”

Seungmin stares at the floor for a beat longer, then his head snaps up. His eyes meet Felix’s again. The stars are back and brighter than ever, Felix notes.

“I thought about it. I want to apply to Late Bloomer.”

Felix shuts his eyes and recoils from the words. He devours the rest of the Pop-Tart and downs a whole glass of water before facing reality again.

“Really?” he asks. “You’re not joking?”

Seungmin shakes his head. “I’m telling the truth. I’ve been practicing cooking and baking for the past two weeks, as often as I can when you’re not home. Sometimes it turns out fine. Other times, well.” He motions toward the baking sheets.

Felix laughs despite himself. “So is _that_ why I never see you anymore? You’ve nearly been setting our dorm on fire for two weeks and I couldn’t do anything about it?”

Seungmin makes a distressed noise and moves to slap Felix with the back of his hand, and the older jumps just out of reach. They grin at each other.

“I _do_ still study all the time, you know,” Seungmin says with no bite. “But yes, to all your other questions.”

“But why though?” Felix asks in return. “What changed your mind? And why sneak around to practice? Why not just tell me so I could help you?”

Seungmin looks somewhere off to the side. “Well. It’s like you said a while ago. There’s nothing stopping me from learning how to cook and bake except for myself. I wasn’t giving the job opportunity a fair chance, and you look like you love working there, so I decided to learn.”

Felix nods, listening intently. Seungmin looks at him for permission to keep going, and Felix tilts his head at him. So he continues.

“I don’t like feeling incompetent, even if I’m new at something. I don’t like feeling wrongly judged or underestimated or patronized, even if you mean well. I don’t like a lot of this whole baking thing, to be honest.”

Felix meets Seungmin’s gaze head-on. There’s a whole galaxy in his eyes to explore now. Felix thinks he wants nothing more than to see those stars all the time, any way he can.

“But I do like you,” Seungmin says. “And I like seeing you happy. I like seeing you be proud of me, especially when I’m getting the hang of something that’s been troubling me. I like feeling accomplished after practicing alone and the idea of being able to show off to you what I’ve learned.

“I know it probably didn’t make you feel great, seeing me disappear so much again, and for that I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you.”

Seungmin gestures to the counter. “I made you cookies.”

Felix exhales the breath he’s held onto all this time. He laughs and ducks his head, pressing a hand to his face to help him process what just happened. Of all the things, of all the possible reasons why Seungmin could have holed himself away in their apartment. This.

Felix lifts his head and offers his best friend a small, close-lipped grin.

“You’re lucky I like you too,” he says. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you actually set the place on fire.”

They both dissolve into laughter, the hearty kind that makes their cheeks feel like splitting in half. Their eyes sting from happy tears.

Seungmin moves in for a hug and Felix eagerly accepts, not hiding his racing heartbeat anymore. If he tucks his head into Seungmin’s shoulder and rests a small hand on the taller boy’s chest, he can feel the way his heart is beating fast too.

So he does, both those things. And Seungmin lets him.

“We’re good, then?” Felix asks quietly a minute later, still pressed against his best friend and favorite person. “No more sneaking around and stealing my baking stuff?”

Seungmin huffs a small laugh through his nose and cards a hand through Felix’s hair. “Only for birthdays. Other than that, sure. As long as I can bake with you.”

Felix smiles. He presses a light kiss to the underside of Seungmin’s jaw, just to see him blush cherry red again.

“Maybe let me lead the cookies next time, yeah?” Felix says. “But that’s good with me.”

He breaks out of the hug but still holds onto one of Seungmin’s hands. “We’ve gotta get more butter first though. Let’s talk more while we get some groceries. Your 6 to 9 can wait, right? _For me_.”

Seungmin clicks his tongue. “Should’ve never said that,” he says. “Now you’re going to use that every time you can, huh.”

“Glad you understand,” Felix replies, face scrunching up in his mirthful way.

They head off to the supermarket two blocks down and quickly shop, holding hands and talking more about the Late Bloomer application (“I hope you know Mina wanted you as a barista and not a baker,” Felix says, much to Seungmin’s chagrin) and whatever this – Felix gestures to their linked hands with a bottle of heavy cream – should be.

 _This_ is just them, Felix and Seungmin. They’ll work on it.

When they finally return home, bags of items in hand and then put away, they set out to follow Felix’s trusted sugar cookie recipe, to start easy. Felix walks Seungmin through the steps, watching him with a careful but forgiving eye, and lets him get away with the small imperfections Seungmin doesn’t catch himself. They have plenty of time for more practice.

What comes out of the oven isn’t perfect, but it’s theirs. And that’s good enough for Felix.

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter!](https://twitter.com/hyuckfc)


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